Pacifica Radio
Pacifica Radio is a network of five independently operated, non-commercial, listener-supported radio stations in the United States that is known for its progressive political orientation. The network also includes under its umbrella one "associated" station, and over 100 affiliated radio stations; some other U.S. and Canadian community radio stations also carry some Pacifica programming. Pacifica was the first public radio network in the United States; it is operated by the Pacifica Foundation, with national headquarters adjoining station KPFA in Berkeley, California. The Pacifica Radio Archives, housed at station KPFK in Los Angeles, is the nation's oldest public radio archive, documenting more than five decades of grassroots political, cultural, and performing arts history. The archive includes original recordings of interviews with John Coltrane, James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, and Langston Hughes, among many others. History Early history Pacifica was founded in 1946 by pacifists Lewis Hill and John Lewis. During World War II both filed as conscientious objectors. After the war they and a small group of ex-conscientious objectors created the Pacifica Foundation. The foundation's first project, KPFA in Berkeley, California, was inaugurated in 1949. Internal conflict, 1990s-2002 For most of its history, Pacifica gave each of its stations independent control of programming. Then, during the 1990s, a major controversy arose over rumors that the Pacifica National Board and national staff were attempting to centralize control of content, in order to increase listenership. The rumors also included accusations that the board also proposed changing the network's funding model away from reliance on listener donations and toward corporate foundation funding. There were also accusations that the Board was considering selling both KPFA in Berkeley, California and WBAI in New York City, which operate on commercial broadcast channels, and whose frequencies are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This led to years of conflict, including court cases, firings and strikes of station staff, and public demonstrations. Many listeners to the individual stations — especially KPFA and WBAI — objected to what they saw as an attempt to tone down the overtly political content on Pacifica stations. The controversy included highly publicized disputes between listener organizations and Mary Frances Berry, the radio network's board chair. The board eventually was embroiled in counter lawsuits by boardmembers and listener-sponsors, and after global settlement of the lawsuits in November, 2001, an interim board was formed to craft new bylaws, which it did in two tumultuous years of national debates among thousands of listener-sponsors and activists, finally giving listener-sponsors the right and responsibility to elect new Local Station Boards at each of the five Pacifica stations. These local boards in turn elect the national board of directors. Aside from some minor changes, the same 2003 bylaws remain in effect today. Recent history, 2000s Pacifica National News director Dan Coughlin was voted Interim Executive Director of the network in 2002 (the "Interim" was later dropped). But the years of internal legal battles and financial mismanagement had taken a toll. In 2005, Coughlin resigned, the network was still largely disorganized, and Pacifica reverted to operating with an interim executive director for most of the year. In January 2006, Pacifica hired Greg Guma as the next executive director of the Pacifica Foundation. By the end of the year, it had fully recovered its financial health and had launched two new national programs: "Informativo Pacifica", a daily Spanish Language newcast, and "From the Vault", a weekly program drawn from Pacifica's extensive audio archives. Pacifica also produced "Informed Dissent", a 10-week series for the 2006 mid-term elections that drew from talent across the network. Guma left his post in September 2007 1. The National Board unanimously chose former KPFA General Manager Nicole Sawaya as the next Executive Director. Sawaya was among the staff members fired by the national board in 1999 amidst Pacifica's internal crisis. Sawaya began her tenure as Executive Director in mid-November 2007, but abruptly changed her mind two weeks later. Pacifica historian Matthew Lasar said she "found the level of internecine dysfunction at Pacifica overwhelming, and fled her job." 2 The Pacifica National Board spent the next several months negotiating with her, and Sawaya resumed her job on March 5, 2008. Recent initiatives *In 2007, the FCC announced that it would accept new applications for non-commercial radio licenses for the first time in more than a decade. In response, Pacifica joined forces with other advocates for independent media in the "Radio for People" campaign, helping local groups apply for these full-power licenses. *Pacifica has expanded its schedule of national special broadcasts, distributing more audio documentaries, covering the Attorney General Alberto Gonzales hearings live, and sending production teams to the United States Social Forum and the National Conference for Media Reform. *Pacifica expanded its offerings in multiple media platforms, using "Web 2.0" technology. In September 2007, one interactive website, KPFA's Warcomeshome.org, began to offer hard-hitting stories from reporter Aaron Glantz about the human costs of the Iraq War, as well as innovative ways of contributing to, and distributing information about, the impact of the conflict. *Pacifica has announced that it will suspend regular programming for three days in order to air a live broadcast of the Iraq War Winter Soldier event in Silver Spring, Maryland from March 14 through March 16, 2008. The broadcast will be co-anchored by journalist Aaron Glantz and KPFA Morning Show host Aimee Allison."Pacifica Radio to Broadcast the Historic Winter Soldier Gathering" Programs A show which has for years been considered the flagship of Pacifica Radio's national programming is Democracy Now!, an independent talk show that covers democracy, human rights and justice issues, and questions the motives of U.S. foreign and domestic policy. Hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan González, this program is a compilation of news, interviews, and documentaries. Democracy Now! is heard and seen on more than 700 radio and TV stations across the U.S. including public-access television stations and satellite television channels Free Speech TV and Link TV. In 2002, as Pacifica implemented its new listener-sponsor-accountability structure and as Pacifica and Democracy Now! settled outstanding disputes from previous years, it spun off with substantial funding from Pacifica to become an independent production. The Pacifica network, in addition to extensive community-based productions at its various stations around the United States, also features a daily newscast Free Speech Radio News. FSRN is a radio program founded by Pacifica Reporters Against Censorship, a group of mostly Pacifica Network News reporters who went on strike against the Pacifica board policies of the late 1990s. FSRN is primarily funded by Pacifica, and includes headlines and news features produced by reporters based around the US and in scores of countries around the world. In 2006, Pacifica added two new national programs: From the Vault from the Pacifica Radio Archives, a weekly program that thematically repackages archival material, making it relevant to contemporary listeners; and Informativo Pacifica, based at KPFK in Los Angeles, a daily Spanish-language newscast that includes reporters from the US and many Latin American countries. Like many media outlets, Pacifica is devoting coverage to the 2008 Presidential and Congressional elections. In February, it launched Election Unspun, 3 a daily news module that provides election headlines, features, and analysis. Local Pacifica stations also produce many programs that are available to network stations and affiliates. These include: Sprouts, a weekly showcase of producers and stations around the network, often in documentary format; Explorations in Science with Dr. Michio Kaku, a weekly radio program on science, politics, and the environment; Dennis Bernstein's Flashpoints a daily drive-time public affairs program; and many other regular programs. Pacifica also produces a wide variety of special broadcasts. These include live coverage of major US Congressional hearings, national mobilizations against war, and other important events like the United States Social Forum. Special programs also include news documentaries, holidays & commemorations, and archival audio from the Pacifica Radio Archives. Stations Further reading * Lasar, Matthew, Pacifica Radio: The Rise of an Alternative Network, Temple University Press, April, 2000. ISBN 1-56639-777-4 * Lasar, Matthew, Uneasy Listening: Pacifica Radio's Civil War, Black Apollo, October, 2005. ISBN 1-900355-45-0 * Walker, Jesse, Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America, New York University Press, June, 2004 External links *Pacifica.org *Pacifica Network stations and affiliates *Pacifica Radio Archives *[http://www.democracynow.org Democracy Now!] *[http://www.fsrn.org/ Free Speech Radio News] *The Lengthening Shadow: Lewis Hill and the Origins of Listener-Sponsored Radio in America *Radio for People